Delaware River waterfront set for $1.7M transformation at Pier 68

With a picnic grove, hammocks, fishing and lots of space for outdoor activities, Pier 68 on the Delaware River waterfront is set for a $1.7 million transformation.

Plans were released Thursday by the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. ( see renderings here.) It's expected to open in mid-2015.

The pier park will serve as the southern trailhead for the Central Delaware trail, which is in development in segments from Pier 70 Boulevard north to Penn Treaty Park.

It will feature plenty of opportunities for up-close observation of nature, including a 4.5-foot-deep aquatic cut into the pier surface that will be filled with native, aquatic plants, and crossed with a simple rope and cable bridge structure. The space should become a focal point for visitors. (There's a similar cut on the Race Street Pier, but it's not quite this expansive.)

It's part of a larger effort to beautify the Delaware River waterfront in small increments. The city built the Race Street Pier not long ago, and recently introduced the Spruce Street Harbor Park at the Penn’s Landing Marina, featuring a series of floating barges complete with lily pad water gardens, a pop-up restaurant and bar, and nets that will suspend visitors over the water. It's located within the Penn’s Landing Marina, at Columbus Boulevard near the Moshulu and the Independence Seaport Museum.

The city and DRWC also have more ambitious plans for the waterfront, including the building of a "sixth square" made by covering a portion of I-95, extending the South Street bridge and seamlessly connecting Front Street to the river’s edge. That plan will undoubtedly take more time.

“Piece by piece, we are building the framework for long-term public access and high quality parks and trails along the Delaware River," said Mayor Michael Nutter. "I’m proud that this will be the third public pier park we’ve created since the founding of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation in 2009, and I’m looking forward to opening the park to the public next year.”

Funding for the new pier park came from the William Penn Foundation, the City of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wells Fargo and Walmart. Pier 68 was acquired in 2012 with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources using the expertise and resources of the Natural Lands Trust, a regional land conservancy.

Here's more on the park and its amenities:

An entrance deck with wood paving, seating,and site furnishings that register water elevation. Located just off the future Central Delaware trail extension, this space will serve as a resting spot for those using the trail and as a place where shopping center visitors can quickly experience the Pier Park.

A collection of native trees that begin to conceal the parking lot and traffic to the west. These trees will serve as a threshold, marking that visitors have crossed into a new riverside environment.

A Picnic Grove where a gravel walking surface and a combination of furnishings and trees will create a space to rest and enjoy the shade.

A 4.5-foot-deep aquatic cut into the pier surface allowing water to filter up through the lower wood deck and reveal the semidiurnal tidal activity of the Delaware River. Filled with native, aquatic plants, and crossed with a simple rope and cable bridge structure, this space will become a focal point for educators and curious visitors. Students will have the opportunity to observe and learn about the Delaware’s changes in water elevation and what this means for vegetation, fish and wildlife populations.

An angled lawn for lounging and sunbathing accompanied by a long linear bench for seating

A water-side walk and the open pier terminus will support a variety of events and activities such as recreational fishing or gathering to watch holiday fireworks.

“Pier 68 is an important next step in weaving together parks and trails with high-quality development along the South Philadelphia waterfront," said Thomas Corcoran, president of DRWC. "These new pier parks will frame a beautiful wetlands area that will not only bring South Philadelphia much needed green space but spur development on adjacent parcels in the coming years.”

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal